Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Chaw - LP [2012]

I'll kick off the submission pile with the Chaw, hailing from the East Bay. The guy who sent me this expressed an affinity for the Janitors, whom you are probably familiar with if you visit this blog with any regularity. The Chaw are definitely kindred spirits in that realm of dark, fuzzed-scuzz psych rock; but whereas those Swedes like to drive a jam into a well-dug repeating groove, these guys sound more like the kind of dudes who'd sucker you into a drunken brawl at one in the morning. There's a palpable unifying ambiance in these songs, whether they're playing straight-ahead gutter blues or sinister ballads. The baritone vocals feature prominently and recall Nick Cave (especially the Grinderman stuff) more than a little bit -- though you'll hear no objection about that from me. At its heart this is an LP of meticulous pop songs, but with the rough edges of a Jim Morrison or Tom Waits sort of vehicle.

This untitled (self-titled?) LP got released earlier this month. They're offering free listens here, and you can stream/purchase a copy over at the Chaw bandcamp page. Down a few tumblers of whiskey and stagger around to these jams.

here's the deal

Since the mediafire days have ended, many of the links on this site are dead. I'll get around to putting them back up eventually, but if you're feeling impatient just leave a comment on the one yr lookin' for.

Dear Reader

FFS support the artists you like. Buy records and tshirts and posters, or send a donation on bandcamp. Go to shows and tell the folks when you like the gig. Write a zine about your favorite band. Be a fan. Also, if I post something you download and end up really enjoying, leave a comment. It's encouraging to hear noises from the other end of the fiber.

Bands/Labels

I don't have time like I once had to to sift through an inbox full of bandcamp links and zip files, so I gotta regretfully tell ya I'm not offering to review those formats anymore.

However, if you send me a physical copy of your stuff, I will promise to write it up, no exceptions. Get in touch with me (in the zen arcade at gmail).

RIAA Types

Don't be an asshole, I'm a reasonable person and don't want any legal trouble. Email me like the rest. I probably will avoid posting your shit anyway.